Tag Archives: how to make my kids like each other

When we talk about building loving relationships in our family- it’s not just the relationship between siblings that need nurturing. The relationship between parent and child is so important, as well as easily damaged. It takes careful attention to cultivate it so it will grow.

When we experience problems within the family, our natural tendency is to shove it under the rug, so to speak, and hope it’s just a stage someone is going through and it will go away. Instead, we need to train ourselves to run toward our problems, not away from them.

The way society tends to do things is everyone participates in activities with kids his own age and although a family lives together in the same house, their social spheres are totally separate from one another. I remember this as a child. My sister, who was eight years older than I was, lived in our house, but our paths often never crossed.

One day I asked each of my children why they were glad they were homeschooled. I love what my son Matt said. “I got to really know my family, instead of just meeting up with them in the evening.”

One thing that promotes close relationships within families is to teach your children to appreciate each other’s differences.

In a family, there should be a spirit of cooperation fostered rather than a spirit of competition. God has uniquely shaped each individual within your family as a special part of his creation. We’re not all supposed to be alike or do things at the same time or the same way.

Point out each other’s strengths and tell your children how God created each one of them to fulfill purposes that only they can accomplish. God took precise care in all the specific details of personality, talents, desires, that uniquely make up who each of your children is, and God makes no mistakes. Even in homeschooling, you will find one child learns certain subjects more easily and struggles with something else. This is normal.

Everyone desires a home that is filled with healthy, loving relationships. Indeed, one of the biggest advantages I’ve seen from homeschooling my family has been the lasting relationships that have been built over the years. My kids are each other’s best friends. But getting to this point is easier said than done, right?

What can we, as parents, do to nurture good and loving relationships in our homes? Well, that’s what this series is about. So, let’s start at the beginning.

You may wonder what some of these first points have to do with building loving relationships within your family, but notice I titled this section “Laying a Strong Foundation” That’s because there is some groundwork to be laid- foundational principles and concepts that will help grow godly relationships. A good verse to remember is Psalm 127: 1, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it:”

Who We Are

We are Rick and Marilyn Boyer-
We've been married for over 40 years, and we have 14 children!

We began homeschooling back in the '80s, when not many had heard of home education. More than 35 years later, we are homeschooling our last child, and all of our children have been homeschooled from preschool through high school!

Needless to say- through parenting and teaching many different personalities, raising a large family, choosing curriculum, following interests, teaching through ups and downs, making mistakes, and trusting God- we have learned some things!

We now travel to different places around the country each year speaking to home educators about successful homeschooling and raising kids with excellent character. We also own Character Concepts, which produces and sells resources for the homeschooling family that are geared toward character development.

Our passion is helping parents:
- Build Strong Families with God at the Center
- Raise Children who have excellent Character
- Pass on the Rich Heritage our nation was founded on